Daily Times

LAHORE: “The lack of urban planning is a problem faced by almost all countries in the world. Pakistan is no exception,” says French development expert Pierre-Arnaud Barthel.

In an exclusive conversation with Daily Times during his visit for the Heritage Now festival, he said abrupt and unplanned increase in population was responsible for poor governance in urban areas.

Regarding solutions to the urbanisation challenge in Pakistan, he said the government needed to chalk out a long-term plan after collaboration with relevant experts. “Population control should be a part of the plan,” he said.

Barthel said that the urbanisation problem in Pakistan was ‘not so bad’ if compared to other under-developed countries he had work in. But, he added, engagement between international groups and Pakistan government needed to be strengthened for achieving greater results.

“The government of Pakistan certainly needs to work on urban planning and seek help of international experts. However, we must realise that the government needs to be given credit where it’s due, like on the work being done to promote the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan,” he said. He said the renovation and development of Lahore’s Walled City was an important first step in this regard.

The government of Sindh needs to follow Punjab’s example because archaeological sites like Mohenjo-daro and Taxila had been ignored for far too long, Barthel said.

In response to a question, he said the promotion of heritage sites should not only be done for the purpose of attracting tourists but also for telling the young generation about their rich cultural inheritance.

“Heritage is about a nation’s identity which should be protected and everyone including the citizens and the government need to contribute to its development,” he added. Barthel lauded French embassy for developing links between Pakistan government and French experts to work towards preservation of heritage in Pakistan.

He also mentioned as a welcome step the ongoing collaboration between Higher Education Commission (HEC) and French embassy for introducing subjects related to heritage in the curriculum. About the Heritage Now festival, he said such events could help raise awareness about the importance of protecting and promoting heritage. “Since Pakistan is seen internationally as a country where peace is a major issue, such events help send out the message that peace has largely been restored and healthy cultural activities are taking place in the country,” he added.

The two-day festival had been jointly organised by the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), the British Council, French embassy in Pakistan and Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Published in Daily Times, October 23^rd 2017.